Ranch deaths: MP in court for incitement
Mwea Member of Parliament Peter Njuguna Gitau was on Friday charged in a Kerugoya court with inciting people to violence in a controversial ranch in Kirinyaga district.
Gitau is accused that on March 12 he incited violence by saying that the people who have been resettled in the South Ngariama ranch should vacate, failure to which they will be forcibly evicted.
The charge stated that Gitau’s alleged utterances resulted in the death of four people who were living in the ranch.
He is supposed to have uttered the words in Kerugoya town during the hearing of the Interim Independent Boundary Review Commission. Mr Gitau denied the charge.
There was tension in the court precincts as heavily armed police kept vigil as the MP arrived accompanied by his supporters.
Later, Mr Gitau was joined by his parliamentary colleagues George Thuo, (Juja), Elias Mbau (Maragua), Simon Mbugua (Kamukunji), Joseph Kiuna (Molo) and Nelson Gaichuhie (Subukia) who said they had come to show their solidarity.
Appropriate
Consequently his lawyer, Mr Robert Ndubi urged the court to release his client on any kind of bond it deemed it appropriate.
Mr Ndubi argued that the charge was a minor one, was bailable and that his client, being an MP, would always attend court when required.
However, the prosecutor, Rogers Sifuna opposed the bail application saying residents were hostile because the four people killed in the ranch were being buried on Friday and the MP would not be safe if released.
Mr Sifuna also said investigations had not yet been completed and the MP, being an influential person, could interfere if released.
The prosecutor pleaded with the court to remand the lawmaker in custody until Monday next week when he will renew his bail application and when the tempers of the residents were expected to have cooled down.
“We love the mp so much and we want him to be in our custody where he would be safe,” he said.
The principal magistrate, Stephen Mbungi released the MP on a Sh20,000 bond.
